


a lack of something

by Sternstunde



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Wings, Gen, klaus really needs a hug, some angst i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 21:33:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18881680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sternstunde/pseuds/Sternstunde
Summary: Wings are a representation of one's personality, and his lack of wings explain everything there is to explain about Klaus.He looks at Ben and wonders,wishesto wear wings as well.





	a lack of something

**** Ben's wings are incredibly gorgeous in Klaus' opinion, and no one, really  _ no one  _ can change that opinion.

 

They are on his lower back, stretching outwards to show the pretty, blue color they wear, added by specks of white. They look like the sky to him, which is why he admires Ben.

 

Wings are a representation of one's personality, and Ben's wings show and hide everything he is.

 

He's as calm as the wing's demeanor, as sharp as their points, as dreamful like the way they shine in the sun and as unforgiving as they are overall.

 

The wings are Ben's.

 

Wings are a representation of one's personality, and the lack of wings, explains everything there is to explain about Klaus.

 

He looks at Ben and wonders,  _ wishes _ to wear wings as well.

 

Then Ben dies and stays to watch over him instead of moving on, up to the skies of peace.

 

Klaus grins tiredly. "You're mein Schutzengel now, Ben."

 

Klaus doesn't want to cry but he does. Ben wants to cry but can't.

 

* * *

 

The pain is getting worse and he doesn’t know what to do.

 

_ “Tell someone, you idiot,” _ Ben mutters, looking at him with genuine fear in his eyes. 

 

Klaus has died many times, he has awakened to a beating heart many times, and he has hated it every time.

 

Ben was there - every time, anywhere - and has cried for him, has hated the world for him, has hated Klaus for his decisions. He was there,  _ he was there _ , holding onto his hand, even though he couldn’t touch it, whispering reassuring honeyed words and talked of dreams Klaus could have, if he just pulled through, just tried to survive.

 

Klaus has failed Ben so many times, has  _ always _ failed everyone.

 

Without wings - Klaus, the failure, the reject, the one who could never fly.

 

His father shook his head at him, dismissed him, but yet saw him as more than Vanya because he still could see the dead. 

 

Klaus knew though.

 

Vanya and he were similar and yet so different.

 

He was accepted in Hargreeves’ household, whilst she was rejected. But outside the household, she was accepted, whilst he was rejected.

 

Klaus has always adored Vanya. Sweet, little Vanya with her bottle of anti-depressant pills, that she shouldn’t have been taking at the age of 13. Yet he said nothing because he wasn’t kind. There’s no benefit from it, and he had other things to worry.

 

He was also jealous.

 

She wanted an ability like them so much,  _ even his _ ! He couldn’t understand how she thought seeing ghosts was any fun, but yet she glared at him whenever he complained about it.

 

She had it so much better, though. She had  _ wings. _

 

Wings weren’t horrifying, weren’t going to hurt him in any way, scare him off and she had them, and everyone did, even the dead taunted him with their still pretty wings whilst he would never have any.

 

She had them and he hadn’t.

 

“Who?” He asks, sighing. 

 

_ "A doctor.”  _  Ben stares at him, his gaze filled with worry.

 

Klaus pulls his knees together on the bench he sits on and sighs. "With what money, Ben?" he asks, throwing his head back.

 

He's currently at a rehabilitation center, so he understands when Ben rolls his eyes at him. Klaus grins chipper. 

 

He's been sober for three months now and it's honestly terrifying. He really, really doesn't like being sober, but he's promised Ben he'd try this time.

 

_ "Seriously, how did you stay alive for this long?" _

 

"I'd love to know too, Ben, but I guess you're not getting rid of me anytime soon," he teases him.

 

Ben smiles at him, and because he's a sappy fuck he replies,  _ "I'm glad." _

 

Uhh, emotions are way too overrated, but because it's Ben, Klaus lets it be.

 

After a while, Ben blinks and turns to him.  _ "Klaus?" _

 

"Mhm?"

 

_ "What if the back pains are… what if they… wi-" _

 

"Don't be silly, Benjamin. You can clearly see, that I'm an adult. I can't grow wings anymore." Klaus dismisses the thought and looks up at the sky, admiring the blue hues. 

 

It all falls down to this in the end.

 

In a world full of people with wings, of angels, and he isn't one.

 

He could never reach that sky he admires so much.

 

_ "Klaus… " _

 

He will forever remain on the ground with the dead.

 

* * *

 

The pain only gets worse after another two months, and this time, someone else than Ben notices.

 

Five comes to visit him.

 

They were all born on the same day, but everyone agrees that Five’s older than Klaus - except Klaus himself, he likes to call that agreement bullshit. So, as his older brother or whatever, he checks up on him sometimes.

 

Not a lot of times, since Five gets lost in time when he has college work to do, but out of all his siblings - with the exception of Ben, of course - Five is the one that keeps tabs on him the most. 

 

And Klaus hates to admit, but  _ maybe _ \- emphasis on the maybe - Five’s not that much of a self-centered asshole. Because whenever Five can’t come, he calls in. The staff would always get Klaus, telling him he has a call from his brother, and Five would ask him how he feels. There were a lot of times Klaus ran away from the rehabilitation center, and whilst Five was annoyed, he’d still come to visit after dragging him back. 

 

He stares at Five, who smirks at him.

 

“Five months,” Five says to him, and Klaus’ brain dies for a moment before he realizes it.

 

Five months since he got back into the center since he stopped taking drugs.

 

It’s a great amount of time for him, who always escaped after three months, unable to continue.

 

He wonders how long it'll take him this to time.

 

"Don't even think like that," Five speaks, eyes narrowing.

 

Leave it to Five to know about his thoughts as well.

 

"How's college going?" He responds instead.

 

Five sighs but smiles, going along anyway. "As boring as always. I haven't learned anything new since joining."

 

Klaus couldn't help but chuckle.

 

_ "That's such Five thing to say." _ Ben grins.

 

"... don't you worry though," Five mutters, looking to the side, "I'll find an answer for this."

 

Klaus frowns.

 

Five and he always get along well. Surprisingly, Ben spent more time with Luther or Five when they were kids. So, the closest person to Klaus was actually Five.

 

Five, who loved his siblings despite the cold, detached front he kept up all their childhood. Heck, they were 22 now and Five still behaved as if he didn't like them.

 

But he did.

 

He left signs of his care all over the place.

 

But the biggest one got to be Five working towards becoming a scientist so he could find out why Klaus didn't have wings and how to grow some.

 

Klaus really cherished his brother doing that for him, but he just hoped Five would let it finally be. It's been years and Klaus had time to grow and understand.

 

Somethings just don't happen.

 

And he doesn't want to see his brother waste his life away for some childish hope.

 

_ "Tell him about the back pains, Klaus." _

 

Klaus shakes his head gently.

 

"Hmm." Five blinks, grinning slightly. "Did Ben say something?"

 

Five was also the only one of the siblings to believe him when he said he could see Ben.

 

Klaus knew he lucked out with Five, considering Diego and Luther stopped talking to him because of his "claims".

 

"He said…"

 

He could lie.

 

"He said to tell you about how well I'm doing."

 

Except that kind of backfires.

 

Five stares at him,  _ stares _ through his soul. "The truth, Klaus."

 

Five was extremely observant, so he always knew which signs to look for if he wanted to know something. He also didn't hesitate to call out Klaus on his bullshit.

 

Ben grins at him and he sighs.

 

"I… I started getting back pains."

 

Five narrows his eyes. "Back pains?"

 

"Yes, it's been around two months now and they are not getting better… I guess."

 

Five sighs. "You should have told me earlier."

 

Klaus just shrugs.

 

"Come on — let's go make an appointment with a doctor, idiot."

 

Klaus doesn't want to go, but he knows neither of his brothers will let him get away with this.

 

And well, his back hurts a shitton.

 

They go to the reception of the rehabilitation center, and Five talks with them, then he makes the call as well.

 

"I'll be driving you there in two days," he says. "Don't do anything stupid."

 

Klaus nods.

 

* * *

 

Two days and his back feels like it's _ burning. _

 

They are currently waiting for Five to get him, a worker of the center beside him and Ben who's pacing around in the room, unseen by everyone but Klaus. There's a large amount of concern in his eyes and he's biting his lip. 

 

Klaus told him it got worse and now Ben's scared, wings long forgotten.

 

"Klaus."

 

He looks up and there stands Five… and Vanya.

 

Klaus blinks.

 

"Why, hello, sister dearest," he greets her, smiling widely, "what brings you here?"

 

Despite his jealousy towards her, he has always liked her. Not enough to tell her about the anti-depressants, but hey, she still wasn't Luther (he remembers hands around his throat, tightly holding and pressing).

 

Vanya smiles at him and it seems genuine and lively. Klaus knows why immediately. Good for her, she's stopped the useless medication.

 

"I heard from Five that he was visiting you," she says, playing with the hem of her shirt, "I thought it's been a while, so…"

 

And it was.

 

The last time he saw her was one year ago, as Five found him on the streets and decided to take him in. Vanya came over to visit the next day and tried to talk with him despite Five telling her Klaus wouldn't notice. Klaus escaped three days later, but he still cherished that little memory.

 

"I'm glad to see you," he says, sincerity in his voice. He smiles back at her and Vanya's eyes brighten.

 

"Let's go," mumbles Five, after having talked with the worker.

 

Then they get into the car and start driving to the hospital. Klaus is already dreading it. Being three months into sobriety, he knows he'll see every dead soul at the hospital. There are so many of them there.

 

Vanya and Five start talking about some cake, and his eyes drift to their wings. Both possessed such pretty wings.

 

Vanya's were also on her lower back. Klaus immediately notices how much larger and darker they are, than they were before. 

 

It makes him smile. 

 

Their color was that of deep green, with soft brown hues around the edges. They resemble the earth, the calm and the steady. The untouching and the touching. They glitter in the sun and Klaus knows those wings are Vanya's.

 

Even when stuttering or quiet, her words have always been steady and sound. The melody she played with the violin has always been touching, whilst her facial expressions were always untouching or touching, never in between.

 

Five's wings are different. They are on his upper bag and small, but that doesn't mean anything. His feathers are sharp. In fact, Klaus is sure they could cut someone, which makes them untouchable, distant to anyone who doesn't know better.

 

But Klaus knows better.

 

Their colors are a pretty yellow-orange with grey edges and there's nothing that could describe Five better in Klaus' opinion.

 

Yellow-orange for the sun, for the warmth that shines through every smile Five shares with them and every hug he gives them. He makes them feel secure like no one else will. 

 

But there's grey for the cold reality he carries with himself, the scares and the pain, all engraved in a glance of his eyes and his tired frowns he presents to the rest of the world.

 

Five is as striking as reality itself, but even the wind cannot move his feathers, so Klaus understands that Five's steadier than anyone else.

 

"Are you alright, Klaus?"

 

He looks up, torn from his thoughts.

 

_ "You spaced out,"  _ Ben mumbles from beside him.

 

"I'm fine," he says, smiling at them.

 

Vanya still looks at him with concern. "Are you sure? Is the pain getting worse?"

 

He shakes his head. That's a lie, his back is killing him at the moment and he hates it.

 

Hates the childish hope the pain brings.

 

He knows. He fucking  _ knows _ .

 

Klaus isn't a little kid anymore. He's long past the endless hours awake, dreaming and wondering when his own wings would appear when he could reach the sky and beyond the clouds to the stars. When he could proudly show off his  _ own  _ wings, whatever color fits him and realize who he is.

 

But that never came, those wishes and dreams just vanished with the years, as the cold realization settled in.

 

He could never really be him.

 

His only really worth never appeared, leaving him weak to scorn and disgust from others.

 

But he's past most of that now, knows he's never going to grow his own wings, knows he'll forever remain on the ground and never truly be able to reach the sky.

 

He's accepted that, but…

 

"It still hurts so much," he mutters and he can see Ben reaching out to pat his shoulder. Klaus won't feel the touch, but a feeling of coldness and emptiness will be left.

 

"It's all going to be okay," Five responds, hands gripping the wheel tightly.

 

Klaus doesn't believe him.

 

* * *

 

"Dear," speaks the doctor and Klaus knows immediately that something is wrong, "I fear I'm not too sure what exactly is going on."

 

He can feel Five tense beside him and Vanya seems like she's ready to faint on the spot.

 

"But I got some hunches and I need you to stay a few days for future observations."

 

Klaus wants to scream. His eyes wander to the three ghosts in the corner, asking him for help.

 

"Is… there no other way to do those observations?" Five asks.

 

"Well, I fear not. All the equipment I need is at the hospital and immovable."

 

Five wants to say something but Klaus sighs, before he mutters, "I'll stay."

 

"Very well."

 

Five turns to him, eyes full of concern and stress. "You will be fine, right?"

 

He nods. "Don't you worry, brother dearest."

 

He'll be fine.

 

* * *

 

Five sighs as he drives to the mansion. 

 

Vanya decided to stay with Klaus for a bit and he's grateful for that. Five isn't all too happy with leaving Klaus at a hospital.

 

A hospital where people die all the time.

 

He doesn't really have time to be there every day. Course work takes a lot out of him, even if most of it is easy, the amount is the issue. 

 

Still, he doesn't want Klaus to stay all alone after the hospital stay and the rehabilitation center so he will offer him a place once again.

 

The moment Klaus reached the three-month mark, Five was sure of it. He'll go through it this time and stay sober at the end of it all. 

 

He'll need a place and the mansion is the last place Five wants to stay him at.

 

"Five?" 

 

He looks and Diego is standing there in the hallway.

 

"Ah, Diego," he says, "visiting Mom?"

 

"... What are you doing here, Five?"

 

He rolls his eyes. "I'm here to get something. If you will? I'm busy right now."

 

With that he turns around, walking towards Klaus' room.

 

"Wait! Five, why the hell are you walking towards his room?"

 

_ Number Two has always been rather hot-headed, unable to fully control the immense anger resting inside of him. _

 

Five thinks about the manuscript in Vanya's cupboard. The one about them all, that Five talked her out of releasing.

 

Even if the words written in there were out of spite and anger, most of them hit the nail on the head.

 

"Because I'm getting his stuff. Didn't you realize that yet?"

 

"You lit-"

 

"Look," he interrupts Diego, "I really don't have time for this. He's at the hospital, okay? I have to hurry."

 

He turns around and opens the door to Klaus' room. As he walks in, Diego follows him and Five sighs.

 

"... Hospital?"

 

"Yes," he mutters, packing in some of his brother's clothes.

 

"Did he overdose again?"

 

Five stops and groans. "Of course that's your conclusion. But no, he didn't. In fact, he's been sober for three months."

 

Ah. There was Klaus' favorite sweater. 

 

Diego stares at him, shock written all over his face.

 

"He's sober… ?"

 

Five takes the bag full of the stuff.

 

"Yes, though I'm not sure why that matters."

 

"He's sober, Fi-"

 

"And he's at the hospital, Diego."

 

Diego blinks.

 

Five jumps out of the room.

 

"Shit."

 

* * *

 

They sit in awkward silence at first.

 

Klaus might like Vanya and he has talked to her a few times, but most of it was through Five. He has no idea who she  _ really  _ is as a person. 

 

So, to find out, he decides to throw caution out of the window.

 

"I guess you stopped taking the anti-depressants?"

 

She blinks. "You… know?"

 

"Yeah," he replies, grinning, "tried them too to get high." He doesn't tell her that he hoped they'd kill him off.

 

"Oh… wait how long did you know?"

 

There.

 

"Since we were nine."

 

The silence returns, but there's something cold in her eyes and she grips the hem of her shirt, trying to stay calm.

 

"And… you n-never told me?"

 

_ "Oh dear," _ whispers Ben. Not that anyone besides Klaus and the other ghosts would hear him.

 

"Well," he says, waving a hand, "would you have believed me?"

 

She opens her mouth but closes it seconds later.

 

"Also, I was kind of mad."

 

"What… ?"

 

"Yeah, I was mad at you. I'm a rather petty person after all."

 

Vanya looks confused and he can't blame her.

 

"You'd always be annoyed at me for hating my powers."

 

What can he say? He's really petty.

 

"That's… all… ?"

 

But even then…

 

"... all, you say? Vanya, please, I saw corpses walking around the place, hugging Diego or Allison and when I cried about it, you looked at me like I was a bad mistake."

 

Well, that's not correct. Every one of his siblings looked at him like he was a mistake. Or maybe he was just being an ass.

 

"I… but still…"

 

Klaus sighs. "Still, I owe you an apology. That was rude of me and I should have told you."

 

She looks at him and he's not sure for what she's searching. Sincerity? Guilt? Pain?

 

Vanya slowly nods her head and releases her shirt. She's calming down.

 

"Y-you really should have, asshole," she says and his eyes widen before he breaks out in a grin.

 

"Ohhhh, did sweet Vanya just cruse?"

 

She smiles back at him and he knows they'll be fine with time.

 

Then he doubles over, the pain in his back getting worse.

 

"Klaus!" 

 

He can hear someone call his name, but he's not sure who is calling him anymore.

 

Ben? Vanya? The nurse?

 

Who is who?

 

He can see blue wings, shining in the light from the sunset.

 

_ "Klaus, it'll be alright."  _ Such a soothing voice echoes in the room, accompanying him to the world of the slumbering.

 

* * *

 

Five glares at the doctor.

 

It's been a few days since Klaus fainted. He was in class but then a professor told him someone called the administration, asking specifically for him (instead of, you know, calling him directly). Told him that it was important.

 

And it was because the call was from the hospital.

 

So he rushed off to the hospital to have a talk with Klaus' doctor.

 

And currently, he's not sure how to process the information he's getting.

 

"Mister, you can glare all you want but that's how it is."

 

"Well, I just don't understand how that would even have happened."

 

The doctor sighs. "... Strong pressure at the back during the growth of the wings, which is why we specifically have such rules as to not let children do work difficult for the back area."

 

"... So that's common?"

 

The doctor shakes her head. "Not exactly. It takes an enormous amount to — excuse my language — fuck up the growth, considering the back is a bit sturdier during the growth."

 

"Then what the hell happened? Our father had doctors over and no one co…"

 

Or maybe their father just hid the information from them. He also hid the fact that Vanya had powers from everyone after all.

 

"Well, I suppose that's interesting about this case."

 

Case.

 

His brother wasn't a damn case.

 

"The wings should have vanished if they were harmed too strong during the growth, but here they never did."

 

Five blinks.

 

"In fact, it seems as if they stopped growing in the middle of the process and now started to continue growing."

 

What the fuck did their father do?

 

"Does… does this have any harmful consequences?"

 

She frowns. "I fear it unfortunately does."

 

He's grabbing onto something. It feels as if time just slowed down.

 

"Usually, once the wings are ready to show themselves, they go through the back thanks to little openings. Those are usually created during the process but in this case… well, they don't exist."

 

He jumps up, ignoring the chair falling onto the ground.

 

"What's going to happen?"

 

She closes her eyes and he can feel his world break apart at the next words.

 

"... They will forcefully create an opening and end up tearing his whole back up. Most likely, they also will hurt certain parts of the structure in his back and permanently harm him or probably kill him."

 

What the hell did their father do?!

 

Before he can speak up, his phone rings.

 

He looks at the number and Pogo's calling him.

 

Pogo hasn't called him since he left the damn mansion. Five takes the call.

 

"I fear your father has left this world, Master Five."

 

He's not sure what's going anymore.

 

* * *

 

Klaus sighs.

 

Seems like life is really against him.

 

He's currently sitting in a wheelchair being wheeled around by Vanya. She's surprisingly strong for her small frame.

 

They are in front of the Hargreeves mansion and to be honest, he really doesn't want to be there, but Vanya insisted he'd come. Except his back started to hurt so much, that moving around was a pain. So Klaus thought she'd drop it.

 

Instead, she came back in two days, a wheelchair in tow.

 

"It's going to be okay," she tells him, voice as calm as always, but now there's an underlying tone of concern backing it.

 

He doubts it.

 

Does no one of them understand that he can see dead people?

 

He could end up seeing their father and that's the last thing Klaus wants to happen.

 

"There are you." Five says, approaching them with a sandwich in his hands.

 

"And I'm go-"

 

_ "Klaus," _ Ben mutters warningly and he shuts up. 

 

Vanya shakes her head at him but she's smiling. "Let's go inside. It's only getting colder."

 

* * *

 

"Vanya," someone speaks, coming down the stairs, "Klaus… what happened?"

 

Allison is standing in front of them, a worried smile on her face. She's grown. Her hair is dyed blonde and almost everyone in this country knows who she is. She has grown.

 

But which part of the growing did she do herself?

 

"Allison," he greets her, ignoring her question.

 

"Hello Allison," Vanya says and Klaus realizes a second later that her greeting sounded forced.

 

What happened between those two?

 

Five sighs. "We'll explain it later, Allison."

 

He's the only one to address her question. Klaus can see the confusion in her eyes.

 

Vanya wheels him to the living room and he can hear Diego’s voice. Klaus hasn’t seen him for around four years, the last time Diego picked him up from the hospital. 

 

“Diego,” Allison speaks, walking to stand beside him and their mother, “the others are here.”

 

Diego turns around, his gaze landing on Klaus. He doesn’t say anything. Instead, he nods his head and looks back to Grace.

 

But it’s too late, Klaus has noticed the uncertainty in his brother’s eyes.

 

“Is everyone here?” Another voice. Another brother.

 

Luther stands there, taller than he used to be. And a lot more packed. 

 

He looked like he has taken steroids but Klaus knows that isn’t the case. Luther would never.

 

Never.

 

He stands beside Allison and Diego scoffs at him. God, this is just like years ago, when they all still lived in that damn mansion. 

 

“I made you some cookies,” Grace says, a smile on her face and something inside him hurts. 

 

Grace was a robot, so she didn’t have wings as well.

 

“Thank you, Mom.” Diego looks at her with so much warmth in his eyes.

 

That warmth kind of makes him think of Diego’s wings.

 

Most of the time they are hidden beneath a leather coat or painted in another color due to his work, but whenever he’s here they aren’t. 

 

They are dark green mixed into dark blue, a charming combination, promising an interesting company. Sharp feathers but soft edges. They are on his upper back and they are small, which is very convenient for him. Ready to vanish into the dark, to travel without noise. Just a shadow but if you catch a glimpse, you’ll be captivated.

 

Unlike Luther, whose wings are large and demand attention. The feathers stand up in their hues of red and light blue. On his upper back as well. Klaus thinks the red represents Luther’s shy boldness, the way he won’t hesitate to help anyone, but holds back if there’s nothing to say or do. The blue paints his sadness though.  _ Lonely Number One. _

 

Then there’s Allison. Her wings rest on her lower back and they are golden. God, they are golden and the feathers are small, soft and round. They don’t have any other colors, don’t shine beyond the gold nor are they big or sharp. But they’ll catch your attention immediately. They were fitting, really.

 

“Klaus,” Luther acknowledges him, eyes focused on the wheelchair he’s sitting in. “Are you coherent enough?”

 

Well, he supposes that’s just like Luther too.

 

Five shots are glare at Luther, as Allison shakes her head.

 

“Of course I am, brother dearest,” he says, too tired to be sad, “are you?”

 

Just like them, just like always.

 

“I do-”

 

“Stop it, Luther,” Vanya speaks up and Klaus manages a small smile. 

 

Confidence is pretty on Vanya.

 

“Let’s just sit down and talk about… his death,” Allison eventually says and everyone shuts up.

 

There's an awkward silence now.

 

Just for a moment, they all forget why exactly they were back at the mansion.

 

The old man’s dead and Klaus prays he stays as dead as possible.

 

“Here are the cookies, children.”

 

Their mother is the best.

 

"Thanks, Mom." Vanya smiles at her.

 

Luther sighs. "I think we should bury him outside by his favorite spot."

 

Their father had a favorite spot? 

 

"He had a favorite spot?" Allison blinked.

 

Seems like he wasn't the only one who couldn't believe that.

 

"Yes, by the tree. We would sit there together sometimes… didn't he do that with you as well?"

 

"No Luther, he definitely didn't."

 

It was Five who answered, a cold gaze and a frown on his face.

 

"Oh, well…"

 

Their words started to blur together into one big mess. 

 

_ "Klaus?" _

 

Ben.

 

He wanted to tell him. Tell him that the pain was getting worse, eating him apart,  _ tearing _ him apart.

 

"Klaus!"

 

He was gone.

 

* * *

 

"What the hell is happening?!"

 

"Why was he at the hospital?!"

 

"Five…?"

 

"Shut it for a moment, would you?!"

 

"What are yo-"

 

"Mom! Can you operate on him?"

 

"Of course."

 

_ "You're going to be alright, Klaus." _

 

He's not sure about that.

 

* * *

 

"We cut your back open," Grace tells him.

 

Everyone seems in a hurry to leave. 

 

Then Five sighs.

 

“I tell him, you can leave.”

 

The door closes behind them and Five sits down beside his bed.

 

“What happened?”

 

Five doesn’t answer for a while, too caught up in his own thoughts but then he replies.

 

“Your wings were growing.”

 

_ Growing? _

 

_ What? _

 

“You had wings, Klaus.”

And maybe he shouldn’t have cared about that one little detail, but he’s in his bed after his back was cut open.

 

“Had?”

 

Five closes his eyes and shakes his head.

 

That’s all the answer he needs.

 

“Did father ever… did he ever do something to you?”

 

And Klaus remembers.

 

The cane and the glasses full of some green mixture.

 

He remembers how he never told anyone, not even Ben.

 

“Klaus.”

 

But now he has to tell him about it?

 

“He… with the cane he used…”   
  


* * *

 

It’s after Five leaves that Ben stares at him.

 

His eyes tell Klaus everything he needs to know. They’ll talk about their father later.

 

_ “I’ve seen your wings before they were cut off.” _

 

Klaus tightens his grip on the sheets and Ben starts to describe them.

 

_ “They were gorgeous, Klaus. A light brown mixing into a light blue. They were on your lower back, but you could feel that, didn’t you?” _

 

He nods.

 

_ “The feathers seemed soft… they had a silver lining to them. They fit you so much.” _

 

Klaus doesn’t agree but he won’t tell him.

  
  


_ “You know… you’ll be alright.” _

 

“I… I doubt that.”

 

He’s wingless.

 

For real now.

 

Any hope he could have had vanished without him even being able to glimpse it. 

 

_ Wingless. _

 

**_There’s no hope for him now._ **

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is finally finished. Bless. 
> 
> I hope the stars shine brightly for you because stars and y'all are awesome.


End file.
